Summer
It's my favorite time of year. That's a solid fact, right there.

I love summer. I love when my kids are home all day. I love hot weather--not just warm, hot. I love swimming and staying up late and popsicles and watching my kids figure out what to do when they're bored and going on vacation. I especially love the absence of cold, dark, freezing mornings and long days of little daylight and chilly temperatures. I'm so not down with that.

Our digs at Yosemite National Park. Let's hear it for tent 635!

This summer has been no exception. I've been able to run more. We took an epic road trip through 3 national parks. The kids are so self sufficient at a pool all I have to do is bring a good book for me and throw food at them every once in a while. Carver has a phone now and makes plans for himself constantly--he just tells me where and when. I watch the Today show. Lily and Zinabu are thrilled and over the moon to have no schoolwork. I confess I am on their side and feel just as happy. No reading logs to track, no field trip forms to pay for and sign, no driving to multiple school events for three different schools on the same day, no cleaning out mushy sandwiches from backpacks on Sunday night, no math tests or math homework (it's not a coincidence that I haven't cried a single tear since the last day of school and math homework).

As the kidlets have gotten older, school has become harder. It's almost a full-time job juggling their work, schedules, and needs. Homeschooling Lily (while definitely the best for her) just adds to the chaos. My house used to be clean, we used to rarely eat out, I used to mail out thank you notes on time and never, ever, ever paid a bill late. Things are different now. Paperwork piles up, a bill gets lost in the shuffle, appointments are made by the skin of our teeth, and Subway is our go-to meal when we won't be home at night.

I really miss when these babes of mine were all in the lower elementary grades, when school meant kissing them good-bye in the morning and afternoons meant playing at the playground until I had to go make dinner. Talk about living the dream!

So I approach August with trepidation and a little bit of nausea. School is going to kick into gear here in a few weeks--with Cross Country officially starting for Carver before that. I've got doctors appointments to make and school supplies to buy and schedules to figure out and meals to plan and last minute house projects I'd wanted to get done in May to actually start... I feel the panic creeping in and dread the homework and late nights.

Can I get a summer do-over?